


Finding Your Gold

by Pandamilo



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anxiety, Best Friends, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends references, Just light in Yuri's worry about his soulmate, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Swearing, The tv show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 16:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16790533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandamilo/pseuds/Pandamilo
Summary: Soulmates are a part of every person from the day they’re born.Their personal little counter that sits raised slightly on their wrist ticks down, day by day, until finally, it hits 0. Sometimes it happens later in life, people waiting half their lives to finally be ready. Right place, at the right time, for their soulmate to meet them.Others, like Yuri’s grandparents, met when they were five.Yuri had counted his own when he was five (with his Grandpa’s help) and knew he would be 18 when he finally met his soulmate - to a five-year-old Yuri Plisetsky, his soulmate was the worst for making him wait so long...Now 18, his count is starting to cause more anxiety then it is excitement.





	Finding Your Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilverSilence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverSilence/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to this beautiful concept my artist, SilverSilence and I created! I was humbly asked here as a pinch hitter and I have absolutely no regrets.  
> Thanks to alllll my adoring beta's/friends for putting up with my whining and need for confirmation over the last month that I am on the right track, especially with my hectic real life throwing me a billion curveballs through-out this process. XD  
> [Partically Louciferish!] <3  
> But please, dive into this soft world of university, coffee shops, roommates and soulmates.

[Our Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12177581188/playlist/6WoPpXNuojmIEtrMdt1xzk?si=ahHg3neUQQu57BmNBxIRwg) for Finding Your Gold <3

* * *

Soulmates are a part of every person from the day they’re born.

Their personal little counter that sits raised slightly on their wrist ticks down, day by day, until finally, it hits 0. Sometimes it happens later in life, people waiting half their lives to finally be  _ ready.  _ Right place, at the right time, for their soulmate to meet them.

Others, like Yuri’s grandparents, met when they were five. 

Yuri had counted his own when he was five (with his Grandpa’s help) and knew he would be 18 when he finally met his soulmate - to a five-year-old Yuri Plisetsky, his soulmate was the  _ worst _ for making him wait so long. 

He wanted that gold infinity symbol on his wrist that bound him to his soulmate; that proved he belonged and the gold marks from your soulmate’s touch that faded to silver the longer it had been since he had been close to them. 

Now, actually eighteen years old, he never wanted to see those gold smears on skin ever again. Not after the first time he saw Yuuri after he met his soulmate, most of Yuuri’s body was smeared in gold and fading silver when he hopped out of the shower in just a towel. Phichit, on the other hand, had fallen off the couch in tears at the flustered look on Yuuri’s face at being caught. 

“You’re both a couple of fuckin’ arseholes.” Yuri groaned, sinking further into the couch and pressing his face into his Art History textbook.

“Oh, stop complaining. You're down to like five months.” Phichit laughed, shoving Yuri's shoulder playfully as his own counter read only ten days. 

***

**30**

Being roommates with two people who had found their soulmate already while you were impatiently waiting for yours was torture for a  _ lovely _ variety of reasons.

Yuuri and Phichit being childhood friends was annoying enough but the added stupidity of both their soulmates knowing each other and being best friends themselves… it was like their own personal club of inside jobs, gushy words and grossness - with a capital G.

Not to mention the addictive nature of the first year of soulmates. It hurt to be away from them for too long. If all your gold faded to silver or disappeared completely, it started to itch under your skin - the need to be close. 

Or at least that’s what Yuri had been told.

Yuuri and Phichit used it as their excuse to have the two loud-mouths practically living in their small three bedroom apartment. 

“Yurio, only a month to go! How are you feeling about meeting your soulmate?” Viktor, Yuuri’s soulmate, beamed, passing Yuri potatoes across their tiny dining table - the third night in a row the five of them were together for dinner. 

“How many times have I told you not to fucking call me that.” Yuri wouldn’t deem his question with a real response. Waiting to meet his soulmate was doing absolutely nothing other than being irritatingly distracting and causing him anxiety. 

_ What if his soulmate didn’t like him? _

_ What if they were with someone else already? _

It had been known to happen, although that was usually when soulmates had to wait into their forties to meet. 

There were simply too many questions and never enough answers.

Everyone told him,  _ it just feels right  _ or  _ you’ll understand when you meet yours.  _ That was usually the point when Yuri would tell them to fuck right off.

“Oh, someone’s grouchy this evening.” Chris, Phichit’s disgustingly touchy-feely soulmate mused, twirling his fork between his fingers as he raised an eyebrow at Yuri. 

“Don’t pick on him. Viktor already told me all about how you whined around for the entire day until your marker hit 0.” Phichit laughed when Chris put his hand to his chest, gasping in horror.

“Viktor! Well, does Yuuri know that the day you were meant to meet him you nearly threw up when you first woke up because of how nervous you were?” Chris blinked innocently at Viktor across the table as Viktor tried, unsuccessfully, not to choke on his food. 

Yuri tuned out at that point until his phone buzzed; it was a message from Yuuri across the table. 

**Piggy [7:12 pm]** _I’m sorry about them. I know you’re actually nervous. You can message me if you need to talk about it._

Yuri looked up and nodded as Yuuri smiled softly across the table. Yuri may know that the four people in his dining room are by far the most annoying people ever born but Yuuri was overly supportive and, irritatingly, actually had a decent opinion on the bigger things in life.

If Yuri really did need advice about things, other than his Grandpa, Yuuri was the person he would go to. 

After dinner, Yuri escaped to his room and attempted to study, only to find himself staring blankly at the raised black  _ 30  _ inked into his skin. He had watched it change a few times throughout his life and it was almost eerie. It didn’t exactly erase itself, more it faded, dulling as if it was being soaked up by his skin only to reappear a split second later as a different number. 

When there was a knock at his door, he wasn’t really surprised. 

“Yura?” Yuuri poked his head into Yuri’s room; laughter could still be heard playing Mario Kart in the living room.

“What’s up, Pig?” There was no malice to the nickname, it more came from the fact that Yuuri used to be a chubby kid and even now, he still ate a lot - he was just more cautious to work the weight off. 

“Wanna talk ‘bout it?” Yuuri plonked himself down on Yuri’s bed, pulling Potya onto his lap as the cat rubbed against Yuuri’s hands. 

“When do I ever want to talk about it?” Yuri sighed and spun his desk chair to face Yuuri anway.

“Alright, I’ll talk. It isn’t going to make it come any faster.” Yuuri outstretched his own wrist, the infinity symbol in gold, smeared marks around it in fading gold and silver from the times Viktor can’t seem to keep his hands from touching Yuuri. “It’s worth the anxiousness you’re feeling, even though I know it doesn’t feel like it right now. You’ll know when you see them… Do you want it to be a particular type of person?”

Yuri knew Yuuri was trying to distract him, making him think along different lines rather that focusing on his own insecurities and the reasons why his soulmate wouldn’t like  _ him.  _ It annoyed him that it worked. 

“They better like cats and be interested in art. It’ll be annoying if they’re dull.” 

Yuuri laughed. “As if anyone you are meant to be with could be dull.”

Yuri rolled his eyes but continued to list off all the things his soulmate better like, otherwise, Yuri was going to leave them, screw soulmates if they didn’t even like Piroshki!

That night, Yuri ran his finger over his wrist, a habit he picked up from when he used to rub it softly as a child to help him sleep. 

“You’ll be awesome. You have to be.” 

***

**10**

“--and there is the sexiest baristas you have ever seen. I’m serious. And it’s themed!” Chris babbled, gesturing wildly as he bounced a giggling Phichit on his lap.

“Seriously, this is the fucking living room.” Yuri groaned, walking past the couple to raid the fridge and cupboards. 

“Oh, unclench, we’re wearing clothes.” 

While technically true, Phichit was in Chris’ too-long-shirt and Chris was wearing nothing but boxers, which was a step up for him. Yuri wasn’t a fan of how much Viktor and Chris appeared naked in their living room just because they could. 

“There’s a new cafe that opened, and it’s  _ Friends _ themed!” Phichit babbled, climbed off Chris’ lap and bounded into the kitchen, snatching one of the chocolates Yuri had pulled from their pantry and taking a bite before Yuri could complain. 

“Like the TV show? That’s pretty cool. Does it have the stupidly oversized mugs and shit?” Yuri mused.

“Yeah! And the hideous orange couch as well. It’s great! The workers are all so attractive. I just want--” Chris bounced excitedly, following Phichit into the kitchen before he was cut off.

“Fucking nope. I don’t wanna know what goes on in your head at the best of times. Now take your pervertedness and chill in Chit’s room.” Hurling a load of junk food and heading back to write his essay due the day before he meets his soulmate - Yuri left a giggling Phichit to deal with a whining Chris.

***

**8**

“ _ Yuuuuri, are you with Yurio right now?”  _ Viktor’s voice sounded mildly muffled, the surrounding noise filtering through the phone anytime he wasn’t actively speaking. 

“No, he’s studying. Do you want me to get him?” Yuuri went to get up from his curled up place on the couch.

“ _ No! I just… I think we found Yurio’s soulmate.”  _ Yuuri could hear Chris’ voice in the background as the phone was shuffled around and then Phichit’s voice came through.

“ _ Yuuri! He has the same countdown as Yura and he’s freaking gorgeous! Yuuri, he has an undercut and like a stern face and he is like the best barista ever. Yuuri, he said he liked my hamster!”  _ Phichit had recently decided to get a hamster tattoo, a small fat-cheeked one that was no bigger than a coin and sat happily on the opposite wrist to his infinity soulmark. 

Yuuri laughed at his best friend’s excitement, but he wasn’t really sure what to do with the information. It wasn’t like they could rush Yuri’s countdown, and if they were wrong, it could really mess up their meeting.

“We can’t really tell them--”

“ _ I know! But Yura said yesterday he was going to trying and check out this place tomorrow. We have to make sure he’s busy! _ ”

Yuuri could see Phichit flailing and gesturing as he spoke, always more expressive when he was excited. 

“I’m going into Uni with him tomorrow anyhow. There’s a book he needs to get pages from for the essay next week. I’ll just make sure we have coffee near the yoga place before our class.” 

Yuuri would have to make a point of going to check out this “best barista” before Yuri’s countdown was done. It wasn’t as if he could disapprove if they really were soulmates, but Yuuri wanted to see for himself.

***

**7**

Yuuri ended up convincing Yuri to go to the grunge cafe near their yoga class. They made absolutely terrible coffee, but their toasted sandwiches were top notch and won Yuri over. 

“Yuuri… nevermind.” Yuri sighed - not for t the first time over the last few hours.

“What? I can see your cogs turning. You’re going to ask eventually anyway, so it might as well be now while we have time to talk about it.” Yuuri turned himself slightly towards Yuri across the table, but kept his eyes trained to the people walking by the window. Yuri was always better at talking about things ( _ real _ things) when he didn’t feel like he was being judged. 

“When you met the extra-loser, how did you know it was going to work out? I mean… what if you ended up hating each other?” Yuri picked up his coffee after he’d finished speaking and made a horrified face before putting it back down and taking a swig of water to wash it down. 

“I didn’t really… I mean, Viktor is really loud and brilliant… sorry.” Yuuri laughed when Yuri started to make gagging noises at the compliments. “But you just have to be open to understanding the other person. You won’t agree on everything or like all the same stuff, but at the end of the day, I don’t believe you could hate them… It’s like they’re already ingrained into your being, and you didn’t realise that part of yourself was missing until you meet them. Yeah, I know it’s really corny and cliche, but it really does feel like that… Never tell Phichit this, but I am fairly sure Viktor is my best friend as well as my soulmate. I don’t just like him in all those ways I would a partner. I actually love the  _ person _ he is as well, and I would want him in my life even if we weren’t together.” 

Watching Yuuri smile while he spoke made Yuri fidget. He wanted to know that when he met his soulmate, he would have that stupid, sappy grin on his face too, but he really couldn’t be sure and it was the uncertainty that was really killing him.

“Have you told him?” Yuri murmured, looking down at his plate as he rolled a cherry tomato from one side to the other. 

“Told who, what?” Yuuri actually turned to face him, confusion clear on his face.

“You love the fucking idiot, obviously.” Yuri looked up and watched as the slow red flooded over Yuuri’s entire face and neck. “I’ll take that as a no.” Yuri laughed as Yuuri spluttered, clearly attempting to come up with an explanation. 

“The time hasn’t been right! We have only known each other for a few months. It’s all just so…” 

“Stop being an freaking idiot and tell him. He’ll probably cry like a sap. Now come on or we’re going to be late and you know I hate missing the starting meditation.” Yuri shoved himself from his chair and left the startled Yuuri to scramble to catch up.

***

**5**

“Yuri, do you have the textbook from the class you took… what are you doing?” Phichit stood in the doorway of Yuri’s room, staring horrified at the scissors in Yuri’s hand, lifted up to a section of his hair. 

“If it’s the gallery one, it’s over on that bookshelf, and I’m fairly sure it’s fucking obvious what I’m doing.” Yuri snapped, lifting the scissors again, close to cutting a chunk off the length of his hair.

“Stop! Oh my god, I can see what you’re doing but I have no idea why!” Phichit walked over and slowly took the scissor’s from Yuri’s hand, holding them like they were dirty before dropping them on the desk-combined-junk-pile that was Yuri’s study space. 

“What if they think I look too girly? What if they expect me to  _ be _ girly cause I like my hair long and then I disappoint them because I’ll kick their arse if they try that shit with me.” Yuri huffed, his long fringe flinching away from his face before landing back where it had been before he exhaled. 

“Yuri… literally nothing about you is girly. Just ‘cause you have long hair, so what? It means nothing. This isn’t 1922.”

“What’s 1922?”

“Just like, a really long time ago. But, the point is you could meet them wearing a potato sack and they’re still going to think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Phichit nodded frantically, catching a hamster that slipped from the slightly damp curls of his hair - it was rare to see Phichit without a hamster somewhere on his person. 

“I think that was the most cliched quote you’ve ever slipped into a sentence.”

“Thank you! Chris bet me I couldn’t make it through the week without talking to you about your soulmate. I mean… I technically lost, but I stopped you from cutting your glorious hair, and that would have been a much bigger tragedy than my loud mouth.”

“Why the fuck did he make you bet that?” 

Phichit seemed to catch himself, his mouth snapping shut as his eyes widened before he turned on his heel and fled Yuri’s room completely.

“What the fuck just happened?”

***

**2**

“I’m going to the cafe. Make sure Yuri eats something.” Yuuri stated as a way of greeting when Phichit finally answered his phone.

“ _ Alright, Mamma Hen. I’ll feed our child and make sure the house is tidy for your return!”  _ Yuuri could hear Chris snickering in the background, so that’s why it took Phichit so long to answer his phone - it was rare for him to not have it on his person.

“Oh, shh. Just take care of yourselves. I’ll be home after I stop by here and get the groceries for dinner tonight. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”

“ _ Can’t promise anything, Yuu but I’ll do my best!” _ Phichit giggled before hanging up the phone just in time for Yuuri to reach the door of the cafe. 

It was perfectly themed; a consistent  _ Friends _ vibe in everything about the space, including the names of the food and the drinks. After ordering ‘The One Where You Have An Exam’, Yuuri plonked down to watch the workers fussing over their customers while they cleared tables and brought out different plates of food, all of them quite good. Yuuri wished he had ordered something else now. 

“Hi. You had An Exam?” A stern-looking guy with an undercut, sharp, attractive features and dark eyes appeared at Yuuri’s table. He was dressed like the others- dark pants and the coffee shop’s black t-shirt with the logo stitched onto the breast. 

“Not today, no?” Yuuri frowned in confusion before the raised eyebrows of the barista and the coffee in his hand made Yuuri realise his mistake. “Sorry! Yes, that’s my coffee.”

The barista chuckled. The smile was small and only partly there as he placed the coffee down in front of Yuuri. The black etching of a _2_ was clearly printed on his wrist. 

“2 days, huh?” Yuuri blurted, looking up to see the surprise flash across the barista’s face.

“Oh, yes. Two days…”

“Nervous?”

“Isn’t everybody?”

“You’ll be fine.” Yuuri placed his own arm on his small table, his wrist turned up to show his gold infinity.

“I know.” The barista laughed, gesturing to Yuuri’s face as the image of Viktor clinging to him and crushing his face into Yuuri’s before he left that morning flashed across his mind. 

“Right… Well, yes. It’s… it’s worth the crap leading up to it.”

“Yeah… I know I’ll like them. I just hope they can say the same about me.” The barista reached for his wrist, his finger running over the number absently before he went to turn back to his job with a nod. The move was so familiar, something Yuuri had watched Yuri do a thousand times before. 

“What’s your name?” Yuuri couldn’t help himself, watching the barista turn back towards him before he crashed right into a frazzled looking worker, the boiling tea she was carrying crashing over her hand and arm. 

“Sara! Shit, are you alright? Get some cold water.” 

The aforementioned Sara looked horrified as her skin started to turn an angry red in reaction to the heat; the dark-haired barista pulled her over to the sink, running cold water over her hand immediately.

Yuuri felt his stomach churning as he watched the scene unfold, but the guy that was almost certainly Yuri’s soulmate handled it with a calm demeanour and did everything right. It turned out he was their supervisor for the day and sent Sara home as soon as he was satisfied her hand was taken care of, even though it was clear it would blister.

“Now, go home. Don’t worry; I’ll make sure they pay you for the rest of your shift. Don’t come back in for at least a few days.”

“But I’m meant to work tomorrow and the next day--” Sara looked panicked. She wasn’t in the same uniform as the rest of the staff, and Yuuri guessed that she was new. 

“I’ll cover your shifts and make sure you get the money you would have for them. Don’t worry. You know I take care of you and Mila.” Sara flushed at the mention of the name, looking down at the swirling gold symbol on her wrist and Otabek patted her on the back. “Now go be with your soulmate. She probably needs you right now more than we need you here.”

Sara tried to argue a few more times before she inevitably gave in and left, but not before she reassured her supervisor that it was definitely her fault and not his. When she finally left, the guy turned back to Yuuri.

“Before you say it, I should have been looking where I was going. And Otabek, that’s my name.”  _ Otabek _ smiled, the act of it seemed genuine as he turned to get back to work with a wave at Yuuri.

“They’ll be lucky to have you, Otabek. Try not to let it get to you.” Yuuri pushed himself from his seat and fled the cafe, leaving a generous tip.

As the door behind him clicked shut, Yuuri tugged out his phone and dialled his soulmate’s number. 

“ _ Yuuri! Where are you? I miss you - my gold is all silver.” _ Yuuri could  _ hear _ the pout on Viktor’s face, but he couldn’t worry about that right this second. 

“I think I just set in motion Yuri’s meeting with his soulmate.”

***

**1**

Yuri felt physically sick. 

Not only was his major essay due today, but the dark _1_ on his wrist was like an anxiety symbol itself and after attempting to write his conclusion for the last hour, he had successfully gotten four words.

“Yuri! We gotta go in like half an hour if you want to get to Uni on time to print and shit!” Phichit yelled through Yuri’s closed door.

“Aarrgg!” Yuri tugged angrily at his hair, face half buried between his arms when his door clicked open and the smell of Piroshki washed into the room.

“I thought maybe you needed it today.” Yuuri flushed, hesitantly offering Yuri one - Yuuri had been experimenting with cooking them since he met Nikolai, and while they weren’t as good as his Grandpa’s, they were getting better with each try. (Minus the one time they had come out inedible and tasting like warm rubber - they don’t talk about that time). 

“You eat, critique, and judge while I read this for you. You aren’t going to get anywhere going around in circles with it.” Yuuri pushed Yuri’s chair back before kneeling in front of the laptop, scrolling to the top before he started reading. 

The smell alone was comforting for Yuri as he took a bite. 

“B-st y-t” Yuri mumbled, mouth still full.

“This is really good, Yura. It’s clear and even I can understand it, and it’s so far away from what I’m studying.” Yuuri turned and beamed at him, making a few notes and talking Yuri through them before leaving Yuri with a half-eaten plate of Piroshki and a conclusion to write. 

It only took him a few minutes to write something he actually thought was half-decent. Talking outloud about his ideas helped clarify them. 

“Yuri! Let’s go!” Phichit burst into his room, arms full of papers, a textbook and his cheeks flushed. Gold smudges over his neck and cheeks forced a groan from Yuri as he gathered his things. 

“That touchy-feely dork better not be coming with us.” 

“I’m driving you, so you better suck it up, Yurio.” Chris laughed as he forced Phichit to let him carry his books.

“I think I’d rather walk.” 

“You’ll be late if you do that, now get in the car!”

***

**0**

“ _ Yura, come on. You can’t sleep all day. _ ” Yuuri knocked on his door for the third time that morning, trying to rouse Yuri from his room, thinking he was still asleep. 

But really Yuri had gotten up and dressed at least half an hour ago (after spending the better part of an hour before that choosing what to wear for the day). Presently he sat on his bed in black ripped skinnies, a t-shirt done in pop art obscure enough that you had to look closely to realise it said  _ fuck off, _ and a pair of doc martens. 

It probably wasn't the most appropriate attire to meet your soulmate in, but it did sum up his personality fairly well, and he figured he might as well lay it out there for them to see. 

“ _ Yuri, come on. Are you going to come with us to the Central Friend’s Cafe or not? _ ” Yuuri sighed through the door, leaving Yuri to decide for himself if he was ever going to leave his room.

Fidgeting with his hair one last time in the mirror, Yuri left his room and found the apartment empty besides Yuuri. 

“Where’re the other idiots?” Yuri muttered, walking past Yuuri to the fridge and taking a drink straight out of the bottle of soda water in the door. 

“Figured you wouldn’t want to be swamped today, so I sent them out shopping so we could just go out together… We don’t have to go to the CFC if you don’t want to try it… we can go somewhere else?” Yuuri looked a little desperate and uncomfortable as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. 

“Why’re you being weirder than usual? We said we were going to go to the Friends themed place, so that’s where we are going.” Yuri huffed before gathering his keys, wallet and phone. When he got to their front door, he only paused long enough to confirm Yuuri was following him, purposefully ignoring the ominous  _ 0 _ that sat firmly on his wrist as he gripped the door. 

***

“I like the look of the ‘The One Where It’s Too F-ing Hot’.” Yuri murmured as he stared at the blackboard with at least thirty different drinks. That particular order was a combination smoothie with berries, yogurt, and a few other fruits.

“Do you want something to eat?” Yuuri asked, seeming distracted and looking around the cafe as he questioned Yuri.

“I don’t think I can stomach anything right now. It’s your turn for drinks anyway. I’m going to get that table near the window.” Yuri pointed before leaving Yuuri looking after him in a mild panic. By the time Yuuri had completed their order with a nice red-haired woman, he was almost frantic. 

Yuri’s soulmate didn’t seem to be here.

“What’d you end up ordering? Hey, earth to Yuuri? The fuck is going on with you?” Yuri was waving his hand in front of Yuuri’s face as he blinked, attention finally directed at his friend instead of around the cafe. 

“Eh, sorry. Distracted, I guess. I got the exam one and… something to eat.” Yuuri creased his eyebrows together, desperately trying to remember what it actually was that he had ordered. 

“Alright, dork.” Yuri shrugged, looking back at his phone, tilting it this way and that as he played one of the dozen games he had. 

“Oh, back again. Did you pick today just because you knew…” The new deep voice broke off as it reached their table, two heads snapping up to look at the new arrival. 

Otabek stood at their table, delicately balancing a tray with their drinks and the apparent cake Yuuri had ordered, but his eyes were wide and fixed to Yuri’s up-turned wrist. 

Yuri’s eyes flickered to it too as it started to tingle, the  _ 0 _ morphing and changing colours as it swirled into a gold infinity.

“You knew…” Otabek breathed, evidently directing the statement at the flustered looking Yuuri even if his eyes were still dragging up and down Yuri’s body.

“Pig! What the fuck is he talking about? Did you know my soulmate before I did?” 

“I- um. It wasn’t on purpose! Chris, Vitya, and Chit saw him and I-I just came to see if I thought maybe it was. I didn’t mean to interfere.” Yuuri flapped his hands on the table, clearly attempting to clear up any confusion as Otabek’s soulmate looked at him with one of those ‘ _ if looks could kill _ ’. 

“I wasn’t meant to work today…” Otabek muttered, mostly to himself as he shifted the tray onto the table and bought his wrist up to look at it more closely. 

“When do you get off?” Yuri snapped, still looking like he could murder someone, but finally turned his attention up to Otabek’s face. “And what’s your name.” It wasn’t exactly worded as a question, more a demand.

“Otabek, and I’ll tell them now; they’ve been waiting for it to happen all day.”

Yuri tilted his head and saw the entire staff of the coffee shop openly staring at their table. 

“I-I’ll just go! You two can… Yuri, I’ll see you at home.” Yuuri smiled, patting Otabek on the shoulder briefly before almost fleeing the coffee shop. Yuri could still see him as Yuuri pulled out his phone, probably to call Viktor. 

Yuri turned his attention back to Otabek, who simply nodded, going to the back room for a minute or two before exiting again, a helmet tucked under his arm and a leather jacket thrown over his work shirt. 

“You drive a motorbike.” Yuri blurted the second Otabek was within earshot. 

“Yeah. How old are you?” 

“Eighteen, you?” 

“Twenty.”

“I made you wait longer…” Yuri said it slowly as Otabek dumped his stuff on the floor, taking Yuri’s smoothie and placing it in front of him, then taking Yuuri’s coffee and sipping it. “How’d you know the smoothie was mine?”

“Your friend ordered this last time. I took a guess.” 

Yuri nodded. He was honestly lost for real words for the first time in his life, his eyes continuing to flicker from the new marking on his arm to the man who was apparently his soulmate. 

“I thought I would feel different.” Otabek tilted his head, looking over Yuri’s body again before he reached across the table, his wrist up-turned, but he stopped short of actually touching Yuri, waiting to see if Yuri would bridge the gap himself. 

Yuri tentatively lifted his arm and ran his fingers along Otabek’s arm, marvelling as the gold spread across the lines he had touched before he lifted his own hand and turned his hand, his fingertips tinted gold.

“You know… I don’t expect anything from you… I want you to want to be with me, not just think you  _ have _ to because of some gold on your skin.” Otabek watched Yuri as he spoke, mimicking the tracing Yuri had put on his arm back onto Yuri’s.

“Is that what you want?”

“No.” Otabek stated so firmly it was almost startling. 

“What do you want then?” 

“You... I waited twenty years to meet my soulmate and so far, from everything I’ve seen, I still want you. You’re sexy, rude, demanding, and clearly have a sense of humour.” Otabek pointed at Yuri’s shirt before mouthing ‘fuck off’. “I want the chance to get to know you more. I won’t push for anything, but if it was up to me, you would already be my boyfriend.” 

Everything Otabek said was with such a straight face it was almost startling, but Yuri liked his voice, the way he spoke his mind, and the way his hand felt as it continued to graze over Yuri’s outstretched arm. 

“I… I want to get to know you too.” Yuri nodded before silence lapsed over them again. This time it was comfortable. Being with Otabek felt easy; they didn’t  _ have _ to talk, but it wasn’t long before they did. Words came naturally as they talked about their studies, Yuri’s cat, where they lived, their families, all of it flowing easily as they kept their hands linked on the table, Otabek’s thumb sweeping gold over the back of Yuri’s hand as he rubbed it idly. 

“Oh shit, when did it get so late?” Yuri’s free hand snatched his phone to see 17 missed messages.

“I should probably let you go home…” Otabek’s grip on Yuri’s hand tightened slightly before Yuri laughed.

“Is your bike a two-seater? You can give me a lift.”

Otabek smiled minutely, but Yuri was slowly learning that was something that spoke volumes. 

Yuri tugged Otabek’s hand and laughed as he scrambled to gather his stuff. When they left the cafe, Otabek led Yuri to a sleek black motorbike, lifting up the seat to produce a helmet for Yuri too. 

“You’ll have to direct me so, hold on tight?” Otabek smirked as he handed Yuri the helmet and slung his leg over the bike, the engine roaring to life. 

“Don’t get too cocky.” Yuri barked, shoving Otabek’s shoulder as he let out a laugh. Yuri slipped up behind Otabek, pressing his chest against the surprising leather-clad warmth of Otabek’s back. Yuri splayed his hands on Otabek’s chest as they drove, directing him the short ten-minute drive back to his shared home.

“This is me, on the left.” 

Otabek nodded, pulling into the driveway and cutting the engine as Yuri waited a few seconds before withdrawing his hands. 

“Thanks.” Yuri mumbled as he climbed back to solid ground, a weird feeling flowing through his body. It was the first time in hours he hadn’t been touching Otabek in some way. 

“Yuri, may I kiss you?” 

Yuri found himself nodding before he had even really processed the question, strong arms lopping around his waist as Otabek almost fell off the bike to get to Yuri faster. When their lips met, it was warm and harsh at the same time. Otabek’s lips were chapped, rough against Yuri’s soft ones, but it worked. Yuri looped his arms around Otabek’s neck, his hands digging into his undercut and up into the soft wisps on the top of his head. 

Yuri had no idea how long their lips moved against one another, but by the time they finally parted he could feel his heart beating rapidly as it rushed in his ears. 

“Can I see you tomorrow?” Otabek whispered, pressing his forehead against Yuri’s as his hand cupped Yuri’s cheek softly.

“You better.” Yuri stated flatly, pecking Otabeks lips once more before finally pulling away and heading to his front door. Otabek waved before pulling away and driving off down his street and Yuri shook himself of the urge to call him and bring him back again.

“Yurio! Finally, how did -- oh I see it went very well.” Viktor was in the doorway the second Yuri entered the house, the biggest shit-eating grin on his stupid mouth.

“Fuck off, old man.” 

“Yura! And on the first date!” Yuuri startled, appearing behind Viktor as Yuri barged passed the couple.

“Get some, Yuri!” Chris called from the other room, completely out of sight but clearly eavesdropping.

Yuri realised too late what he must look like. The gold was clear on his arm. He couldn’t imagine what his face looked like. Without addressing any more of the lewd comments coming from his roommates, Yuri slammed his bedroom door shut and flopped onto his bed.

When he tugged out his phone, he dismissed the messages from Viktor, Yuuri and Phichit, only to pause when he saw a message from someone he desperately wanted to speak to. 

Immediately he dialled the number. 

After three rings, he picked up. “Yura, how are you, my boy? How did it go? Did you meet them?” 

Yuri almost felt like crying in relief. It had been months since he had a chance to go and visit his grandpa, but the fact that the man had Yuri’s soulmate date marked on his fridge for the last 13 years made him feel like he could finally breathe.

“His name’s Otabek.” 

“Otabek? Good name.”

Yuri could see the smile on his grandpa’s face as he started to rattle off all the things he had learned in the few hours they were together.

“He’s a barista at this themed cafe in town, but he’s studying music at the same university as me. We probably never met because that’s on the outer campus. He likes cats. Big family, he’s the eldest.” The list went on as Nikolai commented, laughing along with Yuri and bubbling happiness clear in his tone.

“It sounds like you finally found your person, Yura. I’m happy for you. Now, when am I going to meet this boy?” Nikolai put on his serious voice and Yuri had to resist the urge to laugh. While he knew his grandpa would be nothing but adoring of Otabek, he could still be a scary Russian when he wanted to be.

“Soon, let me get to know him a bit first.” 

“I’ll cook the two of you dinner, you just tell me when.” 

“I will, Grandpa. Thanks for checking in. We’ll come to see you soon.” Yuri smiled, scratching Potya’s ears as the cat purred loudly on his stomach.

“You better. Goodnight, Yura. Say hello to your soulmate for me.” 

Yuri hung up, immediately watching his phone light up with two messages. Otabek’s name on his screen already had him smiling. 

**Otabek [5:17 pm]** _I got home and my roommate started crying with laughter. It took me a good five minutes before I realised what was going on._

Attached was a picture of Otabek’s face, smeared gold covering his lips, forehead, cheeks and neck. Behind Otabek was a blurry image of a guy, sort of similar looking to Otabek, but he was laughing as he gripped tightly to the couch. 

**Otabek [5:25 pm]** _How’d your arrival fare? Hope your roommates weren’t too nosy._

Rolling over, he took a photo of his own gold smudged face, flicking the photo to send before actually typing out a message. 

**You [5:43 pm]** _I went and hid in my room. They were being arseholes as usual. Your roommate looks like a dick._

Yuri laughed when, in the time it took him to reach for his charger, his phone was buzzing with a response.

**Otabek [5:44 pm]** _He is. But you look good with my gold on you…_

***

“We need to go soon.” Yuri groaned, dragging his hands over his face as he spun around in his desk chair.

“Finish that paragraph; then we can go.” Otabek chuckled, running his hands soothingly over Potya on his stomach as they sprawled on Yuri’s bed together. Other than the pig and Yuri himself, Potya had never taken to anyone like he took to Otabek. 

“But it’s so bad!”

“It’s really not. I think it’s interesting. Keep going, and I’ll tell you if I think you could reword anything.” 

Yuri glared at his soulmate before turning back and continuing to read out his assignment. After a few more grumbles, Yuri finally finished the final draft to his work and curled up on his bed next to Otabek, Potya immediately walking over Otabek’s chest to get to Yuri. 

“It’s great, Yura. Stop putting yourself down so much. Now, shall we go?” He smiled softly as he brushed the fringe that had flopped over the side of Yuri’s face.

“Yeah, let’s go meet Grandpa.” 

***

“Yura!” Nikolai hugged his grandson tightly as he threw open his front door. His laugh when Yuri propelled into him was infectious, and Otabek found himself smiling. “And you must be Otabek.” Nikolai kept Yuri close but extended his hand, the gold smear on Otabek’s offered hand in return making him chuckle. 

“I can smell Piroshki!” Yuri trudged passed his grandpa, nudging off his shoes before heading towards the small homely kitchen in the middle of the house. 

“Have you ever had Piroshki before?” Nikolai smiled as Otabek followed Yuri, slower than his soulmate at toeing off his shoes and following. 

“No, sir. Yuri told me I’m not allowed to have any others first before I have yours.”

“Call me Nikolai. No formalities, you’re part of the family now.” 

Otabek breathed a sigh of relief he hadn’t realised he was holding. Yuri looked up to this man more than anyone in the world, and Otabek desperately wanted his approval. 

“Smells good.” He commented, following Nikolai towards the sound of Yuri pouring himself a drink and fussing around the house. 

“Of course it smells good. It’s going to be the best thing you’ve ever eaten.”

It didn’t disappoint, although nothing about Yuri had even been close to a disappointment. 

***

“Yura, you can’t stay in there forever.” Otabek huffed, leaning against the doorframe of Yuri’s bedroom.

“I can when I look this fucking stupid.” Yuri growled from the other side of the door. It was his graduation, and apparently, the bright yellow robes from his university did not agree with Yuri. 

“Just show me. I bet you look great.”

“You think this looks great?” Yuri snarled, tugging open his bedroom door to reveal lemon robes overtop of Yuri’s grey suit. Otabek was a master at keeping his face neutral as Yuri held up his equally bright graduation hat to point in Otabek’s face.

“I think that was a good suit choice.” Otabek stated, taking the hat from Yuri to place it on his head for him, careful to fix Yuri’s shoulder-length hair around it. “And just think, everyone graduating with you is going to be in exactly the same boat.” 

Yuri grimaced, but finally admitted defeat and let Otabek drag him out into the living room, where Phichit and Yuuri were beaming in their own set of hideous yellow.

“Don’t we all look ridiculous?” Phichit mused, before crowding in on Yuri and taking a selfie.

“Let’s get going, nerd. We’re going to be late.”

They made it in time for the ceremony, a sea of banana people lined up to receive their certificates. Otabek had been with Yuri for over a year now and he sat with Nikolai throughout the ceremony. 

“Did you get it?” Nikolai murmurs quietly as they worked their way down the alphabet, they were currently up to J. 

“Yeah, Yuuri helped me with it yesterday.” Otabek could feel his cheeks flush lightly as Nikolai nodded his approval, always a man of few words. 

“Are you going to give it to him at dinner tonight?” Nikolai folded his arms over his chest, still staring ahead as another few people trickled off the stage with their certificates.

“Yes, are you coming for dinner?” 

“I’ll leave you to it. I think he’ll take it better if there isn’t too many people there to watch his reaction.” 

Otabek nodded. They cheered loudly Yuuri was announced and waiting to cheer even louder when it was finally Yuri’s turn. Yuri accepted his certificate gracefully before turning to the crowd and sticking out his tongue, both Otabek and Nikolai laughing at the stunned look at the photographer.

“Good luck tonight Otabek.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“I’ve told you to call me Nikolai, son, especially now.”

***

“Thank fuck I do not have to wear those robes ever again.” Yuri practically shouted as the six of them entered the apartment.

“You’ll have to see me in the flowery green ones next year for graduating Masters.” Otabek huffed, hand clinging to Yuri’s as they made their way to the living room where Otabek tugged Yuri into his lap on the single seat recliner. 

“That will be a sight to see.” Phichit laughed before he was pulled violently away from the couch and into Yuuri’s side and whispered something. 

“We will go pick up dinner!” Yuuri states loud enough to startle Potya across the room.

“Yeah! Come on.” Phichit joins in, gripping Chris’ hand and tugging him back towards the door. 

Viktor followed Yuuri without a second thought and the four of them were out the door before Yuri could even ask what they were going to get. Otabek buried his head into Yuri’s shoulder as the door slammed, leaving the two of them alone.

“What the fuck was that about?” Yuri stared at the closed door as Otabek’s grip tightened around his waist. “What did you do?” 

“I didn’t do anything… there is just something I wanted to ask you.” Otabek’s voice was quiet, muffled into Yuri’s shoulder as he squirmed his way out of Otabek’s grip, turning to straddle his lap so Otabek had no choice but to look at him. 

“Well, then spit it out.”

“Will you move in with me?” Otabek blurted quickly, watching Yuri’s eyes widen. “I mean…” Digging into his pocket, Otabek pulled out a box with two keys, both patterned with a tiger and a cat. “This is your key. I found a one bedroom place to rent, and I want you to move in with-- mmmhph.”

Otabek was cut off by Yuri’s lips crushed against his, hands clinging and tugging at his long hair. They lost themselves to the feeling, hands sliding over skin, gold marks covering fading silver, hot breath and panted whines. 

It was only when they heard the keys jingle in the lock that Yuri pulled back to snatch the box of keys Otabek had discarded down the side of their small recliner. 

“Well… I guess Yurio is moving out.” Viktor spoke first. Yuri hadn’t moved from Otabek’s lap, but all his exposed skin was covered in gold, Otabek a complete mirror. 

“Fuck off, old man. Yuuri will ask you to move in now, don’t worry.” 

Yuuri looked horrified as Viktor beamed, bouncing on his heels as he questioned Yuuri. 

“I love you, you bastard.” Yuri whispered, ignoring their company in favour of leaning back into Otabek’s side, watching the smile spread across his soulmate’s gold-stained mouth. 

“Love you too, Yura.”

* * *

Find SilverSilence on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/angelicsilver39)! and me on [Tumblr](https://pandamilo.tumblr.com/)!

**Author's Note:**

> Your kudos and comments are always so appreciated and fuel the fire under my butt!


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